My thoughts about Mr. Escalante

I believe Mr. Escalante from "Stand and Deliver" is an acceptional teacher. He shows a true passion for teaching, and genuinely takes interest in each of his students. Mr. Escalante shows up to school on the first day to find that his new students are far from "engaged" when it comes to learning. Even so, however, he doesn’t give up on them. He uses encouraging and fun techniques to capture the interest of his students. For example, He catches everyone’s attention when he shows up to school on the second day in a chef’s hat and apron. He chops up an apple with a large knife and hands the pieces to several students. This was his way of explaining fractions. In another incident, Angel, a rebellious student who doesn’t seem to care much when it comes to school, was asked to answer a math question. He didn’t know the answer but Mr. Escalante kept pushing him and saying "You can do it". Angel answered the question correctly. After that, he was eager to learn more. Mr. Escalante is so dedicated to his student’s success that he even connects with his students outside of the classroom. One promising student, Ana, tells her teacher that she is quitting school. Mr. E took matters into his own hands by going to Ana’s father’s restaurant and convincing him to let his daughter stay in school, expressing to him that she has the academic capability of going to college one day. Another time, a student explains to Mr. Escalante that he would rather work than go to school. He is excited about the money he will make with this new job that his uncle offered him. Mr. Escalante hops into the driver’s seat of his student’s car and takes the boy for a drive. He asks "Wouldn’t you rather be designing these things than repairing them?" Mr. E then puts the student on the spot and asks him to make a sudden decision to turn right or left. In a panic, the boy screams "Go Right!" They end up at a dead end. He says to his student, "You only see the turn, not the road ahead".

Mr. Escalante was not just a teacher. In a sense, he was a student himself in the way he learned to adapt his teaching style to his students as individuals. Mr. Escalante knew that by relating to his student on a more personal level, he would gain their attention and respect as a teacher. He does not let his students negative attitudes get to him, but instead pushes them to go beyond what they think they can do. In a poverty stricken community where his student’s home lives involve taking care of kids and their own parents and grandparents, Mr. Escalante gives them hope that they can do bigger and better things. He never stops fighting for his students, and that makes him a true educator.